► Say hello to our new Fiat 500X
► The beefed up 500 has work to do
► Find out how we specced our 500X
I know that in the 21st century the Beetle has ballooned, the Mini is anything but, and even the 500 is no longer a bambino, but this is ridiculous. How can a little Italian icon now also be over four metres long and flogged by Fiat as a crossover?
Which shows what I know. Fiat’s won the lottery with those three numbers. In the eight years since it launched the 500 (the one that anyone under 30 thinks is the original) over 1.5 million have been sold, with 250,000 finding homes in the UK. Heck, Fiat’s only bothered to treat its little city car to a facelift in the past few weeks, whereas most other manufacturers would by now have launched an all-new replacement and facelifted that. In fact, Fiat reckons it’s onto such a winner with those triple digits that over half its range is now labelled as a 500 of some variety. Hence this, the 500X.
Whether you call it a 4×4, an SUV, or a crossover, it’s entering into a market segment that’s only going one way. By 2020 the 500X and its small ilk are expected to jump from a 2% to 7% market share in the UK, culminating in a total of nearly 200k annual sales. It’s already happening: the Nissan Juke proved so popular in 2014 it helped push the Mini and BMW 3-series out of the top ten sales chart. Perennial best-sellers the pair of them, yet their decline highlights exactly where buyers are migrating from.
So, first impressions on my new wheels for the foreseeable? Well actually, I went along to the UK media launch of the 500X a few months back, to try petrol and diesel power, 17 and 18in wheels, and manual and auto transmission options. More on what I picked in a moment, but fearing the flimsiness of a Panda wrapped in another skin I was genuinely impressed by the quality of the interior, the touchscreen multimedia system, and the gearbox (the latter is usually something Fiat doesn’t bother to engineer). And, compared with the Mini, the seats were so much more comfortable, while the most obvious boon was extra space in the back and in the boot.
Fast forward a few months to the arrival of my car and another plus versus the little Anglo-German hatch is a pliant ride (I stuck with the standard 17s). As for the rest of it, well prices start at £14,595, but that’s for a basic-spec Pop model with a 1.6-litre petrol, to sucker you through the showroom door. The fancier 1.4 MultiAir (more powerful, more economical) can’t be had with anything less than the mid-level Pop Star spec, and that’s £17,595. Oh, you want diesel, like the majority of customers? Immediately £19,095. And what about the ‘off-road’ bodykit so it actually looks like a crossover rather than a 500 hoarding some nuts in its cheeks? Another £1000. Suddenly it’s £20k, and that’s before the options list has even been looked at.
Enough for now. The Fiat 500X and I have got plenty of time together for judgments to be made. In the immediate future, I need to figure out whether I’m comfortable driving a a car whose TV ad pitches it as the automotive equivalent of Viagra. Is it more than merely an engorged member of the 500 family?
Logbook: Fiat 500X 1.6 MultiJet Cross
Engine: 1598cc 16v turbodiesel 4-cyl, 118bhp @ 3750rpm, 236lb ft @ 1750rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Stats: 10.5sec 0-62mph, 115mph, 109g/km
Price: £20,095
As tested: £24,320
Miles this month: 98
Total miles: 1598
Our mpg: TBC
Official mpg: 68.9
Fuel this month: £12.51
Extra costs: £0
How we specced our 500X
Nav Pack: £1000
A bigger touchscreen sat-nav, plus the all-important DAB radio
HiFi by Beats: £600
An upgraded audio system, made famous by a man with questionable medical credentials
Visibility Pack: £200
Rain-sensing wipers, plus auto-dimming mirrors that fold using electricity
Comfort Pack: £250
Keyless entry, a front armrest, and adjustable lumbar support for my seat
Comfort Pack Plus: £100
Don’t say I’m not good to you darling: height adjustment for the front passenger seat